Disposable plastic valve



Sgpt. 9, 1952 0. w. BROUS DISPOSABLE PLASTIC VALVE l II,

Filed April 19, 1950 Patented Sept. 9, 1952 D I SPO SA BLE PLASTIC s. H

bonald WiBrous, Francestown, N'.",H.,V assignor to Food Engineering Corporation, Manchester, N."H a corporation of New Hampshire still-re tr nt 19,1950, smi n 5 ,898

l My invention relates to a disposable val'v'ejstructure especially adapted for use in the dispensing ofbeverages from bulk containers. The invention is considered particularly valuable as applied to milk vending machines, especiallytho'se or the coin operated type.

Valves employed in such l form with rigid specifications set by strictlyenequipment must conforced sanitary codes. These specifications, in

the main, go to the finishing of the internal. surfaces of the valve and have particular reference to the avoidance of crevices, sharp corners, etc.,

which would make the valve difficultfto clean.

.WhiIe doubtless warranted from' a health standpoint, they add greatly tothe cost of the fvalvje and, in some instances, so [complicate the structurethat the valve gives trouble on use, especially in the respect of leakage. I

Thorough sterilization of a valve or other part of a-milk vending machine or the like cannot, of course, be assured by such regulations, but only .bythe most careful supervision of the individuals charged with the work. Atbest, there is always the fear that an expensive permanent valve may be'damaged during the handling incident to its cleaning-and sterilization. And when damage installed in its damaged condition, causing faulty operation of the machine as a whole. l

My invention has as'its principal object'tolprovide a valve for the purpose indicated, which can i be manufactured at acost so low that it is economic to discard it after a single period of use. Such aivalve obviouslydoes not need to meet the above mentioned specifications and, accordingly,

can beconstructed in a simple, truly functional form.

A further object of the invention is to provide avalve which can be constructed chiefly of a plastic, as polystyrene or polyethene, for instance.

. A still further object is toprovide a disposable fvalve which is positive in action, which is not prone to leak, and which is easily installed and removed. L

Another object is to provide a disposable valve which is capable of performing a metering function.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the followin description, which will proceed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a preferred form of .occursit' not infrequently happens that itgoes unnoticed, with the result that the valve is revalve for use in the dispensing of milk from a i conventional 5- or lo-gallon milk can, the valve '12, held fas'tfagainstfasealing ring. 14 by a ring clamp [6. Fixed, as by welding,.to the external face of the lid 12 slightlyinwardly of its periphery is an annular piece l8 to which the valve 20 is fastened bymeans of .astrap, 22. This strap is madetight byturning' the screw 23 the nut25, which. may be fixed tothe strap.

Thebody of the valve 2i) is formed entirely of hlastic, most suitably polyethene, and includesa cylindrical up portion 24 and a cylindrical portion 26 of reduced cross section. The latter portion is formed to provide aninternal valve seat 28 shaped complementarily with respect to the lower, endof the plastic plunger 29. This plunger has a magnetic core ,3! and is actuated by means of coils 33 and,35; coil 33 being the'fiupfcoil,

coil 35 being the down'coill Io facilitatethe egress of the milk when the pmnger 29jis in raised position, the internal surface of the portion 26 of the valve bodyis grooved at; 31 (see Fig. 3) Plunger 25 is guidedsolely by theportion 26 and'the valve seat 39, whichis fiicedto the lid l2 of the can l0, as by welding, {around and under an aperture 40 in the lid. f As shown in Fig. 2, plunger 29 is in its normal position. ,Upon energization' of the coil 33, as by insertion of a coin ina vending .machineincluding the partsgillustrateia machine such as described 'in my copending application Serial No.

2,591,507, issued April 1 1952, for ekampleYthe ferrous core or plug 3 I, embedded in the plastic of the plunger, tends to center in the field created by the coil, with. the result that the plunger is .the valve body' has emptied." At this point coil35 is momentarily energized to positively seat the end 44 of. theplunger in the seat 28, whereafter the valve body again fills with milk.) j To prevent the fgurgling which would'btherwise obtain due; to .air entering the system through the port 46 during emptyingof the valve body, the cup portion thereof isiprovidedwith an aperture 48 (see Fig. 3) which is positioned above the level of the edge 5|] of the valve seat 39. This aperture serves to equalize the pressure above and below the milk inthe valve body. Contrary to what 'mightbe'expected, no milk is lost through the aperture onthesubsequent refilling of the valve body. {This follows because milk can flow from the container In only when an equivalent quantity of air can enter the container to replace the milk and the air must necessarily bederived through the valve body. Let it be assumed that plunger 29 is in the position as shown in Fig. 2 with-the valve body in the process of being filled with milk. When the milk reaches the edge 50 ofthe seat 39, which provides what amounts to a liquid seal, it-is obvious, since additional air As; prevented, from entering the container, that milk can flow from the container only by reason of the static head represented by the contained column of milk. Very little flow occurs by reason of the static head before sufiicient va'cuum'de velops above the milk level inthe containerto,

flow caused by the static head.

From the foregoing, it will-be appreciated that k the quantity of milk dispensed on elevation of; the plunger is determined by the length of the plunger 29. and themeinber providing theseat -39: Thus, the valve can-be made in one standard size for a number ofjapplications' in which dif- 'fering amounts" of. liquid are dispensed;

" As indicated by Fig; 4, I mayjjdispense with *the c'oil -3 5 and-use- -only an "fup coilj33' In this-casal' havexfou-ndit advantageous'ito so mold the plunger 29'jthat it' terminates at: its

"lower-end in a ri 'iggportion52 of narrow section. "Thisfring"orfin'jrests .on the sloping wallsiof "the seat '28 in the normal position of the plunger. flt-willfof course, beunderstood that in such embodiment the plunger seats of itsown weight in the seat 28' .following' 'd'e-energization' of the -s ingle=-coil. If; desired, the coil i315 may have I somewhat greater mass than in the caseof the embodiment previously. described. "'f-Iheifact'that the valve hereinis manufactured of plasticmaterialgnot"only renders the valve "disposable," but-greatlysimplifies its actuation k-by'electroem'agnetic' meanasince the problem of residual magnetism encountered 'infthe .case .of other magnetically' operated devicesis'eliminated.

"Having thus'ldescribed' and illustrated my, invention, what I'claim is: t

'1. A disposable; metering valvestructuresuited -for--use*-in '-the 'dispensing:of a liquid from an upend'ed 'bulk' container, or the likecomprising a' lid'"provided with a fixture afiording a valve secured under :and :about said 1 valve: seat, said eration of-"the valve. structure the-same stands at.aleveliiabove"that ofthe lower edges of the valvese'a't associated with said; lid.

11.2. A .valve {structure as. defined by claim 1 in a .whichtheterminal portion of theiplunger comiplementary to: the. second valve seatcar ries. a fin directly contacting-said seat.

seat, I which seat "isuspaced. Home-the external surfaces of the lid'in the immediate area .of }the ifixture, said valve structure including a 1 lastic body .member adapted tdbeudetachably secured to said.- lid under and aboutisaid -.;valve-.seat, said body member including a cup portion having anaperture therein and aportionpf reduced cross-sectionall-area extending from the; bottom rof the cup-portion providing a second valve? seat,

'seatr'wvhich" seat-is spaced' from, the, external 7 surfaces of the -lid1inithe immediate' areairof they-fixture, saidgvalve structure including a ;plastic-'- body "member-adapted to -be detachably body imember including; a. cupyportion .having Ian"aperturetherein anda portion providing a second valveseat belowthe level 'of. the bottom :lofthecup portion; and a; plastic plunger recip- Lrocal' within 'said body; mem-bemhaving' a magnetic core andppposed terminal portionsshaped a "for seatingin said valve seats,.the3aperture in 'said'- cup" portiongbeingnso loc'ated"that,:in op- Q anda'; plastic plunger; reciprocal within a guided by;s aidf glast-rnenticned Qtrical means j externalf and v ition having a magnetic core and opposed terminal portions shaped for seating in said valve seats, the aperture in said cup portion being so located that inoperation of the valve structure the same stands at alevel above that of the lower edges halt the flow. Aperture 48, or. qur ,jis o;;pe th sitioned that it is not reached incident to the -reduedcross sectional area are grooved.

5. A liquid dispensing system comprising a container confining the liquid to be dispensed, said container being providedlwitha fixtureextending; from the b'ottoni' of' i the ccritai' *fording' a. valt'e se'at spaoed from the v surfaces of t the. containerjinithe' immediate "area of t f ur a," a t a v bqd'y, "se l lie v said container under and about sa idj valve-"seat, said body member having acup p qrtiontiirough which jitfis attached to'thefcontainer 'and ja portion; providing a s'econd"valve seat belowthe ibottom of the. cup-portion; means at', alevel mediate'fthe bottom of th'e container andf'the -lower edges of the saidfirst valve seat allowing ionthe ingress; "of air; into thesyste'm1'a plastic plunger. reciprocal within'said valve body having a magnetic core and-opposed terminal portions shaped for seating in said valve fiseats'gfandplecsai 1 ra ve jbqs t fo actuating said plunger. 7 t 6. Aliquid dispensing jsystem comprising a container. confining theliquid" ,to be dispensed, said. container being"'provided with' afifixture extending. fromlth. DOttOl'IlJGfillhQ container ai- Vfor'ding a valve." seatispaced froin thesurfaces of the container in the immediate; area oftne fixture, afiplastic valve bodysecured to said container .under and about said valve-seat, said valve. body including a cup portion and" a portion of reduced, cross-sectional; area extend ling from the bottc'rnjof the"cup;portion"providing a second val vel seat};means ata level mediate the bottom; "of tithe-f container; d; ;,the ow ed s '1 the. .i dfirj t ,v v e l w n 'for thegingress "0 air; into "theflfsystem; f 'plunger reciprocal --within and guide y"; the reduced portionfof 'said valve bodyi h ving; a

ma net c core 1 n appear-teem ishap'ed for seating inz said" valve seats; ndl elec- 'trical means external of said valve body for acti'ifatil said plunger. H

' .7; Asystem :as definied by elaim which the internal walls '01 he said" portion of reduced crosssectionalj area-f arefgrooved. V r 5 :the terminal portion of the p lnnger complemen- 

